Farewell my love. We've gone our separate ways.

In June, My beloved 2008 Prius Touring 6 took the life of a young deer, and gave its own life in exchange. The damage seemed so slight, only a flesh wound, and I drove her the 12 miles home to assess the damage. I went straight to the internet to price out the repair pieces, hoping to avoid turning it in to the insurance company for the hit on my good record. I figured about $1000 is the break even point for claims, considering a $5oo comp deductible. After sourcing about 1/3 of the parts I needed, the price had already gone over $2000. Time to call the Claims dept.
It was a one-way trip to the local approved shop for my baby and a check in my hand that seemed very generous considering the 215000 miles under the floorpans.
So, across the lot to the Toyota sales floor I went. First question- do you have a PIP? Sorry, no. We can look around and get back to you. How about a Persona with LEATHER? No, we have something better. We call it Softex, but you might recognize it as something you'd rather not have under your bum. EVER. We can put you in a 4 and add aftermarket leather for just a little more than the Persona.
Now, I am a reasonable man, and I can see that Toyota has the bottom line in mind when they spec'd out the 2013 line. Cut cost on the ingredients and keep the price the same, and the bottom line moves upward toward profit. Same business model as the new Twinkie, which I'll never buy either. Granted Hostess bought the farm and new owners are banking on brand recognition to carry for at least a few months, but I only work in the tangibles of what I get for the money. No sale. No Prius for me.
So it's time to go car shopping again after 5 1/2 years out of the game. I still know all the angles, so I hit the internet to research and disect the offerings for a week or so, then haggle with 3 or 4 salesmen over why floormats and mudflaps are worth $400 each.
Not to bring the story to a close too soon, but I have been watching the Leaf since Carlos Ghosn made it his foster child in 2011, and couldn't justify the 73 mile range as my commute is 80. The battery degradation issue almost took it off my watchlist. The 2013 Leaf with an EPA 75 mile range took quite a long time to come out, and I had stopped watching the net for its arrival by March.
Now, I need to replace my baby, and the Leaf is on the lots now. Just not very many in the Boonies around me. I start reading the Leaf forums and see that hypermilers are managing quite well into 100s. Enginer is also offering a supplemental battery to nearly double the range for another $5k.
For price, after governmental subsidies, I can buy the top end model SL for less than a Persona and I get real Leather seats. Heated too. I didn't drag the salesman into the poorhouse on the deal, even though I tried. So, off I go in this glorified golf cart on a 94.6 mile drive home from the dealership. My wife loves the seats, considering the change from the 08 prius backsnappers we'd been enduring. I love the range, and plugging in every night really beats a once every other week trip to the gas station (usually undertaken late at night after realizing I had several opportunities during daylight hours).
Goodbye Dear Prius. I am a better person for having known you, but we've grown apart in ways I'd never expected.
I also want to give out a heartfelt thanks to all the folks here for advice and ideas(good as well as bad), FireEngineer especially in my early days.

 

cwerdna,
I've been on MNL for a while, and the range issue is a non-issue for me. I can add an hour to my commute to charge near my work long enough to get home in winter after a 30% degrade loss, or, the more palatable approach, I can get the Enginer(early prius guy) supplemental battery pack. My kids are calling me Batt-man already. It's not very flattering.
My objective in the short term is to drive the 125 miles to Chicago with only a short stop for a top off enroute. My wife has range anxiety about what we'll do during recharge times. The stop is at an outlet mall. I have another kind of range anxiety about that stop. How far in debt we can get in an hour.

 

Charging isn't bad on me, I drive 41 in a 55 zone regularly in any vehicle. No hurried life, got that out of my system in my youth. My desire though, is that movie theatres, shopping centers, restaurants, and other facilities that commonly consume hours at a whack will recognize the opportunity to have captive clientele' and install charging stations.

I did go to a public charge station in a nearby metro area, and was intent on taking the first 'public transport' ride of my life on the bus system to a local mall(about 5 miles distance), but after spending half an hour on their website via smartphone, I discovered that I wouldn't make the round trip (without even a minute for shopping) before the meter ran out on the parking stall, exposing me to a $35 ticket. Now I understand why people have so much disgust for public transportation. I could have walked there in about the same time as the bus took to get there, with its scheduled stops.

OMG it is! I can't let my kids hear this. I always thought the batmobile was a ford thunderbird turbine powered by Chrysler.